WAR: Outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Refuses to Join New Coalition

Prime Minister for the interim Iraqi government, Iyad Allawi, has refused an offer from the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), the election-winning Shiite
bloc, to join a coalition government led by the UIA. The event comes after Allawi spoke with President Bush regarding the formation of the new Iraqi
government, and ahead of the meeting of Iraq's national assembly on March 16.

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"He showed no interest in joining the Government and turned down our offer," Hussein Shahristani, of the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), said.

Another figure in the UIA, which swept 140 of the 275 national assembly seats in January's election, says Dr Allawi has been offered a role in
proportion to the 40 seats garnered by his list.

Dr Allawi announced a few days ago that he is still in the running to keep his job as he held negotiations with various political groupings.

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How fascinating to be able to watch, firsthand, the formation of a democratic system of government, rising from the ashes of a dictatorial regime. A
timeline of the formation, including past and future events can be seen
here.

Mr. Allawi's decision may have been motivated by more than pride, since his political ideals differ substantially from the UIA on specific points. Of
particular note is Mr. Allawi's liberal and somewhat controversial stance on accepting elements of the former Hussein regime who have been exonerated
of any crimes back into the fold.

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